Coven
by Nara Merald
Summary: X 5 Witches. 4 Warlords. 3 Kindred. 2 Abuses of fruit. 1 Lucivar Yaslana. Pranks. Romance. Revenge. Explosions! HEIR's Canon Characters! Beta'd by Erkith. ABANDONED.
1. Scelt

**The Coven**

**Summary: **Lady Duana's quiet country retreat in Maghre, Scelt, is about to be overrun by 9 very unique and mischievous witches and warlords and two of their furry brothers. Set in Heir to the Shadows.

**Beta'd by and Dedicated to _Erkith. _**(Thanks!)

**Chapter One- Scelt**

"Oh this place is wonderful Khary!" Jaenelle breathed, looking around in amazement. Part of the coven, Jaenelle, Karla, Gabrielle, Morghann, Kalush, Morton, Chaosti, Khary and Aaron, are all were all staying in Lady Duana's cottage in country Maghre for two weeks. Some people (Sataen) were already busily praying the Shadow Realm would survive it.

Since arriving, they had quickly overrun the large, vine covered house, exclamations of delight and excitement issuing from all corners. The two largest rooms had been turned into dormitories with the girls sharing one and the boyos the other. The witches' room itself was extremely large and circular, with each witch having a single bed against the wall and a couch where a 6th bed would have been. Taking their time, they called in their possessions, the witches filled three wardrobes with various clothes they all shared, before settling back onto their beds contentedly to have a chat and wait for the boyos to plan some mischief.

The Warlords' room/dorm was rectangular and had two double bunk beds. Chaosti was the top of one, Morton under, and Aaron top of the other, Khary under him. Their clothes had been placed carefully (if hastily) into a separate wardrobes and then they left to find their witches. Lady Duana's cottage also had a spacious living room, bathroom and kitchen.

Piling into the witches' room, the guys sat down on the couch except for Morton, who sat by Karla seeing as he couldn't fit on the cough. Morghann took one look at the boyos and laughed- Chaosti had stolen the first seat, Khary had sat down casually then Aaron had decided he wanted to share and squished them both up. Chaosti's annoyed glare sent Gabrielle into giggles too.

"I thought Uncle Saetan would never agree to this!" Karla commented, after looking contentedly around them.  
"Yeah, just think of all the- Ow Aaron do you mind?- things we can do!" Khary turned the unspoken ideas around in his head, before elbowing Aaron.  
"Well what are we going to do today? It's only mid morning…" Morton reminded them.  
"Oooh, can we go to the lake? Can we?" asked Morghann excitedly. Jaenelle looked at the others before smiling, which was all the agreement the others needed. They ran to get changed into bathing suits and clothes they could get wet in.

They took some of the kindred horses, all knowing how to ride from long lessons, and ignored the gasps Gabrielle and Chaosti sometimes got as they rode to the lake. The people of Scelt were now somewhat used to the Dea Al Mon Prince and Queen, but whenever there were gasps, Jaenelle's midnight gaze was turned on to the cause, and the group rode past proudly. There had been past incidents, but Jaenelle's presence was usually enough to shock the Princes from the Killing Edge. Her rage however, was something that scared them all. They all tried to deter that and none wore the Jewels when they were out for fun, like this day.

When they arrived at the lake, already there were people swimming, laughing and playing on the beach and out on brightly coloured paddle boats and canoes.

"How about going on the boats?" Kalush suggested shyly, pointing at the loudly coloured boats for hire. People sat in them and they had pedals like a bike and people could paddle lazily or race at their own speeds.

"Sounds like fun." Khary had a gleam in his eyes that immediately made everyone suspicious.

"Us Warlords will pay for the lovely ladies." Khary continued and bowed exaggeratedly to them. Kalush blushed, Karla rolled her eyes, Morghann gave Khary an approving smile, Gabrielle gave Chaosti an 'If you are planning something, you are sooo dead' smile, Chaosti winced, Khary's smile grew wider, Morton snorted, Aaron winked at Kalush and Jaenelle just gave them all an amused glance.

When they got closer to the boats, they separated, Khary taking the guys with him. They looked like they were debating about something, throwing occasional glances at the girls. Morton looked horrified, Chaosti uncomfortable, but they returned and said nothing.

"What was that all about?" Morghann asked suspiciously.  
"That? Oh, you know, Chaosti was just being stingy." Khary said airily as Chaosti looked horrified and started to deny it.  
"I was not!" Chaosti protested as Karla tried to muffle a laugh at the proud Dea Al Mon Prince's expense. Chaosti's eyes narrowed at her cough, but Gabrielle's were narrowed at Chaosti, promising him hell for being cheap.  
"Well lets go then…" Kalush said hurriedly, averting certain disaster.  
"Race you!" Khary yelled and took off, Jaenelle sighing as they all lost to Khary.

They paired up quickly, before realising there were three left, Jaenelle was the odd one out. For a fleeting moment, sadness crossed Jaenelle's face, before Karla determinedly grinned and declared "This thing will fit three!".

In the end, Khardeen went with Aaron, Morton with Chaosti, Kalush with Morghann and Gabrielle, Karla and Jaenelle shared.

"This is nice." Gabrielle murmured as Jaenelle and Karla paddled lazily, all three slumped in their seats, eyes partially closed enjoying the warm sun.

"Ahhhhh!" All three girls squealed, as ice cold water rained down on them from Khary and Aaron splashing them. At the same time, Chaosti and Morton struck Kalush and Morghann. Gabrielle sat up slowly, back rigid, posture intimidating, a look that promised retribution on her face. Jaenelle and Karla also turned to look at them.

"Uh oh." Khary mumbled.  
"PADDLE!" screamed Aaron. Meanwhile Chaosti and Morton were also paddling away as fast as they could.  
"AFTER THEM!" declared Morghann, all the girls giving chase like practiced predators.  
"AHHHHHHH!" screamed Morton in sheer terror, realising the girls were beginning to gain on them.  
"Stop screaming, its hurting my ears!" complained Chaosti before looking back and suddenly doubling the pace.  
"This had to have been the dumbest idea ever!" Aaron yelled at Khary, both beginning to feel a little tired but not daring to stop.  
"Shut up. It could have been worse!" Khardeen yelled back.

"Let's get them!" whispered Morghann, and Kalush turned to look at her, seeing a queer, crazed look in her eyes. Kalush looked a bit freaked out but paddled harder, wanting to get revenge on the boyos too.  
"Wow, Khary and the boyos sure got Morghann riled up." Jaenelle wrinkled her nose as they continued the chase.  
"Let's get them good!" Karla declared, before the planning began in earnest on the distaff thread.

The boyos seemed to realise nothing could save them, and had decided to take a stand in the middle of the lake, the boats huddled together as the warlords watched the approaching witches with much apprehension.

"If we die, I'm going to become demon dead and kill you Khary." muttered Aaron.  
"Yeah, a 'great' idea, Khary." Morton complained, seeing the fire in Karla's eyes.  
"Gabrielle will kill me." Chaosti murmered, eyes fixed on the Dea Al Mon witch.  
"You'll be lucky for death mate." Aaron looked at him sympathetically.  
Khary wisely stayed silent.

.:Ready girls:. Morghann, who seemed to be organising the second assult cried.  
"They're going awfully fast aren't they?" Khardeen seemed a bit nervous, and looked behind them to see if they could back up.

.:READY:. four female voices replied.  
"Do you think they're going to hit us!" Morton asked nervously.

.:GO:.  
"They ARE going to hit us!" breathed Chaosti, all the boyos preparing for the hit.

_To be continued..._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm excited! having just finished Deadly Politics, i wasn't planning on diving back into BJT but then i re-read _Heir_ and realised no one has really done anything much about how the coven got along. I hope you like it, and as always drop me a line if you've got any ideas.

**Erkith** is my first ever beta, be on the look out for a story by her involving Surreal and Prince Rainier, the dance teacher from Dreams Made Flesh, where i get to play my hand as beta! 0o00o!

xoxo


	2. A Dish Best Served Cold

Shouts out to my Beta **Erkith** who took the time out of her busy schedule to look this over!

_Previously in Coven..._

.:Ready girls:. Morghann, who seemed to be organising the second assault cried.  
"They're going awfully fast aren't they?" Khardeen seemed a bit nervous, and looked behind them to see if they could back up.  
.:READY:. four female voices replied.  
"Do you think they're going to hit us!" Morton asked nervously.  
.:GO:.  
"They ARE going to hit us!" breathed Chaosti, all the boyos preparing for the hit.

_Chapter 2 – A Dish Best Served Cold_

They were _not_ prepared for Gabrielle and Morghann to make a huge flying leap and land, Gabrielle on Chaosti and Morton's boat and Morghann on Khary and Aaron's. At the last possible minute, mere seconds before they hit, the witches used craft to turn the boats on a right angle so they glided quickly past. Before Morton could react, Gabrielle had pushed him into the lake and taken his seat. Morghann wasn't so lucky, as she pushed Khary off, he grabbed on and she fell in the lake with him.

Chaosti looked at Gabrielle with wide eyes before he got shoved off too, too surprised to do anything but gape and hit the water.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle had taken control of the blue boat (Jaenelle and Karla had yellow, Kalush was in the green and Aaron was in the red) and left Chaosti and Morton spluttering in the water as Karla and Jaenelle laughed. Morghann had taken the time to start a splashing war with Khary, who dunked her and then grinned before swimming in the direction of the other boats, before deciding that teasing Morghann was more fun that teasing the others. Aaron was headed for a very nervous Kalush, who was busy trying to remember which way to steer when you were going backwards, before jumping on the boat with her.

"Aaron!" Kalush cried, eyes wide.  
"Hey, who is in the red boat?" Karla asked, squinting.  
"No one." Jaenelle said in a funny voice.  
"Oh ok. Hey wait… that isn't good…" Karla realised. Jaenelle just looked at her dryly.  
"Shut up!" Karla whined good naturedly. They paddled across to the boat, and Jaenelle elected to take the red boat, both splitting up.

Karla went to pick up Morton, who looked somewhat relieved she wasn't going to kill him.  
"Get in, idiot!" she rolled her eyes as Morton narrowed his eyes at her before their was a brief struggle for control between them.  
"TRUCE!" Morton yelled, resolving to let Karla do whatever she wanted with these boats. He was outmanned. Angry Karla was a fearsome Karla, he always said.  
Uh oh. She'd promised to be kind and polite to innocent bystanders on this trip, (he still rememered her "toned down" letter to Uncle Saetan) but Morton suddenly wished he'd made her promise to be kind to him as well. Karla simply gave him a wicked grin that promised he'd better watch his back for the next few days.

"So the idea was Khary's?" she guessed, rather astutely.  
"Yep." Morton was not going to lie to cover Khardeen's back after all the trouble he'd caused. This was stored away for Karla's future reference too. Damn were they going to get it.

On the other side of the lake in a happy green boat Aaron was looking at Kalush in a way that distinctly reminded her of a predator, with a sweeping look up and down.

"Aaron?" Kalush asked, a little confused.  
"You look good wet." He purred, before shoving her off the side and grinning evilly as she came up spluttering.  
"AARON!"

Meanwhile…

"Why are you so upset Morghann, I thought you liked the lake?" Khary teased, before swimming under the water and yanking her down by her slender ankle.  
"Mmmpphh…KHARY!" with that scream, all the nesting birds flew from the surrounding trees, Jaenelle shaking her head in amusement as Morghann unsuccessfully searched for Khary who had, for all appearances, disappeared. So had Chaosti.

Gabrielle paddled up to Jaenelle, meeting Karla and Morton there.

"So, we have Morghann in the water. Chaosti, Khardeen unaccounted for. Aaron and Kalush….Oooh Kalush in the water…" Karla mentioned keeping commentary.  
"Morghann's coming over, and Kalush and Aaron will continue to flirt for a while I suppose." Gabrielle said nonchalantly.  
"Yes, we'll have to watch those two." Jaenelle smiled calculatingly, looking forward to how much fun they'd have with them.

_Underwater_…

.:Operation take down girls is commencing. Do you accept this mission:.  
.:Khary, why do you make it sound so mysterious:.  
.:Chaosti! You're so no fun sometimes:.  
.:Do you understand that we are going to die:.  
.:Oh come on, if Jaenelle taught us to breathe underwater then she doesn't want to be rid of us just yet:.  
.:We. Are. Going. To. Die:.  
.:Oh, Gabrielle ey? Yeah, I'd be a little nervous if I were you. But you what they say, in for a penny, in for a pound, right:.  
.:One of these days, you're going to understand exactly how much trouble you get us all into:.  
.:Least I'm not boring, right:.  
….  
.:Right? C'mon Chaosti:.  
….  
.:Fine. Be that way Chaosti. But operation will be put into action in… 3…2…1… GO:.

With that Khary carefully swam up to Jaenelle's side of the boat and Chaosti swam up to Gabrielle's. Slowly two hands edged out of the water…

"So where do you think Khary and Chaosti have got-AHHH" Gabrielle's calm question turned into a rather undignified screech as she was yanked backwards.

"Oooh AH!" Jaenelle's eyes widened as she fell backwards into the water too.  
"CHAOSTI! KHARY!"  
After that little episode, the girls and guys had gotten out (albeit a few more dunkings and splashings later). The boyos turned to Khary.

"They're too calm." Aaron said nervously.  
"They're planning something." Morton worried.  
"Why do we listen to you Khary!" Chaosti threw his hands up into the air.  
"Cause you lovvvvvee me!" Khardeen replied with a grin, as the other three turned back disbelievingly.  
"He did not just say that." Morton shook his head.

"We have to get revenge. For the good of all witches out there, we have to get revenge." Morghann muttered.  
"Sweet, sweet revenge. Something that will hit them from nowhere." Karla agreed.  
"Something that they'll never expect…" mused Kalush.  
"But what?" Gabrielle asked agitatedly, less than satisfied with a lack of a plan.  
"Let's just wait. We need time to get back and plan the perfect revenge." Jaenelle said knowingly. At those words, the witches' hackles settled- they had Jaenelle, and that was enough for them.

Besides, her ability for planning the perfect prank was nearly as legendary as Khary's.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
Well what did you think? Do you like? let me know if you have any ideas!

xoxo


	3. Trickery

_Previously in Coven…_

"We have to get revenge. For the good of all witches out there, we have to get revenge." Morghann muttered.  
"Sweet, sweet revenge. Something that will hit them from nowhere." Karla agreed.  
"Something that they'll never expect…" mused Kalush.  
"But what?" Gabrielle asked agitatedly, less than satisfied with a lack of a plan.  
"Let's just wait. We need time to get back and plan the perfect revenge." Jaenelle said knowingly. At those words, the witches' hackles settled- they had Jaenelle, and that was enough for them.

Besides, her ability for planning the perfect prank was nearly as legendary as Khary's.

_**Chapter 3- Trickery **_

When they got back to the cottage, all of the boyos were immediately put on guard by Jaenelle's seemingly innocent suggestion that the witches make them tea. Whenever Jaenelle had her innocent expression on, one of the following happened:  
- They did something wildly exciting  
- They did something wildly dangerous  
- They did something completely unheard of and technically impossible

Usually it was a mix of those three, and it _always_ ended in Lucivar, Andulvar, Prothvar or Uncle Saetan gritting their teeth and ordering them out of the room. It was at this point the aural shields around the rooms would spring up.

"No, no, by all means, let us handle dinner tonight!" Morton hastily interjected, fearing the witches' wrath affecting their dinner, not that they needed wrath to ruin a meal, mind you.  
"Or even all night this week!" Aaron agreed wholeheartedly.

Jaenelle looked at the witches, silently conveying something the boyo's missed, and then turned back to them.  
"We don't like doing dishes either; we don't want to do them every night!" Jaenelle protested. Being fair, whoever made the dinner was exempt from dishes.

"We'll do them too!" Khary looked resigned.  
"Fine. You can make dinner all of this week and do the dishes, if you're sure…?" Jaenelle's eyes had a sparkle to them that the boyos knew equalled trouble, as surely as Khary's mere presence heralded havoc. (And right there, was a lot of trouble).  
"Yes! We're sure!" Chaosti interjected hastily, fearing the results of Jaenelle cooking when the other witches were annoyed enough not to make her stick with menial tasks. They all remembered the scenario with Lady Duana's kitchen, though thankfully the boyo's hadn't been there, neither had Gabrielle or Chaosti…

_4 months ago in Lady Duana's Kitchen, Scelt…_

"This is great fun! We should have done this ages ago!" Karla laughed, covered head to toe in flour, making her look like an overly fake looking ghost from a play in Hallaway that they'd seen.

"Karla… the flour was supposed to go _in_ the mixture…" Morghann sighed, before inspecting Jaenelle.

Jaenelle had started off trying so hard that it had been painful to watch, but slowly the girls had gotten her into the fun mood that they were all trying to achieve.

"Now add the red dye, and the blue dye until it runs purple." Kalush instructed, busy making the other icing for the cakes. Morghann and Karla were baking the little cakes and Kalush and Jaenelle were making different coloured icing, then they were all going to decorate them with berries and lollies together.

Kalush's happy musings were stopped by Jaenelle's "Damn damn and double damn!".  
"Why didn't it go purple!" Jaenelle cried, staring at the gooey, sickly, brown icing. Kalush stared at it, uncomprehending. How could red and blue make _brown_?

Karla meanwhile, was on a mission: it was her duty to find the sugar. Morghann told her that sugar was an important part of the cakes, because they wanted them to taste nice for Jaenelle's sake. Pouring in a few extra cups to be on the safe side, she just hoped the icing was going well…

"Jaenelle… how did you do that?" Kalush asked carefully.  
"I just did what you told me to!" Jaenelle wailed.  
"Well that's ok… we can just make some more!" Kalush said hastily.  
"I could change the colour… with craft." Jaenelle suggested, and Kalush let her, thinking it couldn't well get that much worse. That was their second mistake, their first being the whole idea of cooking.

Five minutes later, and the muffins were in the oven rising carefully, under Karla's watchful eye. The now-purple mixture of icing was sitting on the bench, spells securely holding back the mouldy brown out of sight. But when Kalush turned back to the bench, it was gone.

"Jaenelle? Did you move the icing?" Kalush asked somewhat nervously.  
"No, I didn't… oh… but then…" Jaenelle trailed off, beginning to understand why Kalush was expecting it to rain fire any minute.  
"MORGHANN! KARLA!" Kalush called desperately.  
"Yes?" Morghann came out quickly, confused as to why Kalush was panicking.  
"Where is the icing? WHERE. IS. THE. ICING!" Kalush grabbed onto Morghann's shirt.  
"Hey calm down, it's ok, I just put it in on the stove to heat up. It looked great Jaenelle!" Morghann said happily, thinking Kalush was overreacting.  
She wasn't.

**POP! **

With that, all four girls were covered in sticky, burnt chunks of lukewarm brown icing.  
So was Lady Duana, who had come to check on their progress.  
"What in the realms am I covered in?" Lady Duana said through gritted teeth.  
"Icing." Morghann said guiltily.  
"And why am I covered in icing?" Lady Duana was going to be polite and patient if it killed her.

"Jaenelle put a spell in the icing because it was brown and it was supposed to look purple…" Kalush explained.  
"…And the spell can't be heated up… or it combusts…." Jaenelle said earnestly.  
"…and I put it on the stove not realising there was a spell… so that the icing would spread over the cakes easier…" Morghann looked sheepishly towards Lady Duana.  
"I see." Lady Duana forced out calmly.

**PING! **

"Oh, our muffins are ready!" Karla rushed off to take the tray out of the oven, offering one to Lady Duana. Jaenelle watched innocently, knowing exactly how frustrated she was.  
Lady Duana took a bite of the muffin and froze, before forcing herself to continue chewing and swallow. After letting the silence go as she calmed herself, she spoke again.

"Who was in charge of the muffins?"  
"Morghann and I." Karla mentioned helpfully.  
"Come with me." It was a command, not a suggestion, and so the four coated witches followed her, where she picked up two bags.

"Can any of you tell me what these are?" Lady Duana asked carefully.  
"Of course, they are sugar or salt." Morghann replied, confused.  
"I suggest you taste them, before putting them in your cakes. I want this kitchen clean, then you can take your cakes, and visit Uncle Saetan." Lady Duana told them, resolving never to let the menaces in her kitchen again and striding out to open a bottle of strong alcohol.

With a look of understanding on her face, Kalush picked up a muffin and tentatively bit into it, Morghann doing the same.  
"Ugh! Karla! You put salt in these!" Kalush cried in disgust.  
"A lot of salt…" Morghann spat her cake out in the sink.  
"… Kiss Kiss…" Karla offered sheepishly.

_-End memory-_

And so the girls went to their room to relax, and the boyo's began preparing their dinner.  
"Jaenelle? You didn't seriously want us to cook, did you?" Karla began.  
"Yes, because we all know you and Karla are banned from any kitchen in Kaleer, pretty much." Gabrielle interjected, having heard about the "Muffins" affair, as they liked to call it.  
"Oh no. But now the Boyo's have volunteered to cook every night this week! I thought you'd like a bit of a rest from cooking, and now none of us have to do the dishes." Jaenelle grinned at the other witches, who were regarding her in awe.

"I'm glad you're on our team Jaenelle." Morghann said solemnly.  
"And I'm glad I don't have to do the dishes!" Karla exclaimed.

Step one of "Project: REVENGE" had gone perfectly according to plan.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thanks muchly to ERKITH for fantastic Beta-ing skills. Review or I'll be forced to send Banshees after you. That's right. a Banshee.

xoxo


	4. The Price of Being a Queen

**Chapter 4: The Price of Being a Queen**

The witches were lounging around in their bedroom talking, as the boyo's finished the dishes,

"What do you think will happen to us in the future?" Karla asked, laying back on the bed, face upturned to study the ceiling. Jaenelle had charmed it so that it showed their fondest memories to them. Currently, Karla was staring at a picture of herself, Jaenelle and Morghann in dirty overalls covered in dirt, with Jaenelle holding an undergrown radish as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

"What do you mean?" Morghann enquired, picking at the edge of a fraying rug.  
"We're all Queens… between us we share Black, Rose, Sapphire, Purple Dusk and Opal. Not to mention we've been half-raised by Uncle Saetan!" Karla finished smirking.  
"Don't forget Uncle Andulvar, Mephis and Prothvar!" Kalush reminded her with a grin.  
Jaenelle, whose face had started out saddened and distant, cheered up considerably.

"Karla will rule Glacia; I will rule the Dea Al Mon; Kalush and Morghann, you guys are a shoe-in for your territories… you're the best choice." Gabrielle mused.  
"And since you don't want to rule, Jaenelle, you know what that means!" Karla grinned wickedly.

"Tea and biscuits!" gasped Morghann.  
"Idle chit-chat!" Kalush cried.  
"Nosy older women and endless marriage queries!" Gabrielle continued mercilessly.  
"OH NO!" all five gasped as dramatically as possible. Kalush fluttered her hands as if she would faint; Karla pantomimed shock ridiculously; Gabrielle mock cowered; Jaenelle shrieked and ran behind Gabrielle, and Morghann faked a somewhat less-than-convincing heart attack, involving a surprising amount of convulsions. (Which of course sent the other witches into convulsions… of laughter.)

It was at that moment the boyo's (who'd been standing in the doorway watching) decided to make themselves known.

"NO! Morghann! My heart! My dear! I'll save you!" Khary cried equally as ridiculously, rushing to her side.  
"Yeah, tea and biscuits sure are deadly!" Aaron smirked, eyeing Kalush who blushed crimson in embarrassment.  
"Gabrielle was right at least… nosy old women are scary! Well, our elders definitely are!" Chaosti shuddered.  
"From personal experience?" Morton asked with a twinkle in his eye.  
"Several. And NO Khary, I DON'T want to talk about it!" Chaosti had correctly interpreted the gleam in Khary's eyes. Khary mock-pouted.

The boyo's settled into the room, with Morghann shifting to Jaenelle's bed so Aaron and Khary could have hers. Morton and Chaosti took the couch.  
"It's too early to go to bed!" Gabrielle sighed, fidgeting.  
"We could play the vowel game…" Khary suggested.  
"What's the vowel game?" Morton asked in confusion, as Jaenelle smiled.  
"Scelt kids play it to learn the vowels- you choose a theme, for example, colours. I might say Blue. Because the first vowel is a 'U', that's the category." Khary explained.

"'A' is a childhood story or statement, like 'When I was young, I wanted to be an Arcerian when I grew up'." Morghann explained.  
"'E' is any true story, 'I' is something about the person on your right, 'O' is something about what you want for your future and 'U' is something about the person on your left." Khary finished, waiting to make sure everyone understood.  
"The person who can't think of a colour has to relate an embarrassing secret, then pick the next category." Morghann added.  
"Sounds ok to me." Gabrielle smiled.

"Ok, I say Blue." Khary began. "So that's Aaron. I remember the first time I ever met Aaron and Sabrina… both of them were covered in dirt from playing 'garden' with Jaenelle, and Sabrina was scolding Aaron for trying to eat worms. Aaron ended up putting a worm down her top and getting grounded for 2 days. Morghann gave me one look and told me if I ever did that, I should run for Arceria." Khary laughed and Aaron glared at him.

"I say Red." Aaron mused, wanting revenge. "Any true story hey? How about the time Khary mistook a magazine on possible uses for webs for an Adult magazine? We were actually curious because Jaenelle was learning so much, and teaching Morghann and Sabrina at the same time. We took it home the first day, all eager, because it showed a woman in front of a web. Of course when we opened it, we learnt a lot more about the female anatomy than we'd even realised existed before. Khary's first comment, and a very eloquent one if I do say so myself, was 'Morghann has one of _those_!'"

Aaron burst into laughter, Khary looked at Morghann as if he thought he needed protection, Morghann was gaping in disbelief and Jaenelle started giggling. Chaosti and Karla were laughing it up at Khary's expense, Kalush was blushing, and Gabrielle looked as though she was trying _very_ hard not to laugh. When it finally died down, Gabrielle decided to go next.

"Ok. I choose purple. So, something about Jaenelle… Hmm. The first time I met Jaenelle then I guess. The Dea Al Mon boys were all being taught hunting and tracking skills, the livelihood of the forest. The females got taught by a female tracker, because she helped us understand and explain our bond to the land, especially for the Queens. The girls and I were bored, and they started to play 'white rope white', a skipping game using the White as a rope- I know it's practically unheard of in the rest of the realms but it's a well known Dea Al Mon game. Between the rest of them, there was two witches, a healer and a priestess. Yellow, Yellow, White and Rose. We were young, and I didn't know how to feel for the White… the Opal was too much of a jump for me to find the White in time to jump the 'rope'. And so I had to watch while they had this fun, watch and wonder why I couldn't join in the games, why only Chaosti understood. We were best friends because we were so far apart from the others, but while the boys were envious of Chaosti's Green, the girls loved playing White Rope White and couldn't understand why they'd want a darker Jewel when I was so inept.

And so I sat there, wishing I had someone who understood what it was like to be isolated by their power, wishing for a friend who would come and play a game with _me_ while the other girls played. And then someone sat down next to me- a blonde girl that I'd never seen before in all the Dea Al Mon territory, with eyes I could have drowned in. For about 5 minutes I swear we just looked at each other, sizing each other up. I never even realised the importance of her being there. Then she spoke.

"Do you want to play?" she asked me, gesturing to the four playing happily.  
"I can't play White Rope White. I can't find the White." I admitted, expecting to be abandoned in favour of someone more interesting, able to play games properly.  
"I… I could show you how to find the White…" the girl said hesitantly, smiling a little.  
"Really?" I asked, excited. And then I felt her in my mind, a little tug and she showed me how to find the colours, from White to Opal. It was amazing. I rushed off, racing to play with the others, before I realised she wasn't with me. She was watching with a sad smile on her face.  
"Hey, aren't you going to play? It will be more fun with six!" I'd giggled, and ran back, practically dragging her to meet the others.  
"So what's your name? I'm Gabrielle!"  
"I'm Jaenelle." She'd smiled, and then we all played White Rope White.

When the elders found us playing with her, she stopped with the strangest look on her face. They were all tense, and I didn't understand why then, but I raced forward babbling about how nice she was, how she helped me find the White, asking if she could stay for tea. And thus began a long standing invitation to the Dea Al Mon for Jaenelle, my other best friend." Gabrielle finished with a smile, grinning fondly at the memories.

"Hey… tomorrow… can we play White Rope White?" Kalush asked shyly.  
"…that's a kids game though…" Morton said confused.  
"So? I think it's a great idea. I've never played White Rope White." Morghann said firmly.  
"How about we play this again tomorrow, and go to sleep now? After all, we've got a full day tomorrow, not to mention White Rope White." Khary reminded them with a grin.

And so the boyos drifted out of the girls' room and Gabrielle went to turn off the lights, pausing to watch the ceiling for a moment. There they were, her memory still clear as day, 6 girls jumping and laughing, playing White Rope White- Jaenelle and Gabrielle included, which for her, marked the beginning of the best group of friends she would ever have.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Usual thanks to Erkith's Mad Grammar Skills, for a quality story check out her story 'Predators' Dance' about Surreal and Prince Rainier! Please review... consider it a Birthday Present!  
xoxo


	5. Pirates and Princesses

_This is probably more like an interlude than a chapter; nothing much happens. I hope you enjoy anyway, and please review! Thanks are again in order to **Erkith** who manages to turn my ramblings into something readable!_

**Chapter 5- Pirates and Princesses**

The girls did have fun playing White Rope White and they had even more fun (and exasperation) trying to teach the boyos. When they finally made it into Maghre, they'd barely had time to catch their breath before Kalush whispered something to Jaenelle, who nodded enthusiastically and nudged Kalush. She looked shyly at the others as she voiced what she'd told Jaenelle. This soon led to them entering a portrait store.

"And how can I be helping ye?" asked a kindly old man, smiling at them.

"We'd like to get a few photos taken. Will this cover it?" Jaenelle asked, holding out a small but flawless diamond. The man's eyes bulged out of his head. "For that miss, I could close the store and you could dress up and take as many photos as you want!" he exclaimed, wondering where she had gotten it. Smiling, Jaenelle answered the unspoken question. "It was a gift given in thanks, and I can think of no better way to spend it." She explained warmly.

And so the shop closed, and assistants were quickly found. The photographer, Deeral, handed them the folder holding the options himself, allowing them to choose which costumes and scenes they wanted. Many were from Landen history, and the group was given a short explanation which the teens lapped up in eager fascination.

They were ushered away by the assistants to dress for their first shot as sea-faring Pirates. Out of all the pirates, Blood and Landen, one troop had stood out in history: Sally Slasher and her crew- the Rabid Raiders. She'd been bold, and quick with a sword (hence the 'slasher') and had worn the Red. Her crew was a mixture of Blood and Landen, and they'd pulled off several near impossible heists. The outlaws had immediately been taken to heart by the witches and warlords when Saetan had told them the story because Sally Slasher, despite being a fearsome woman with a nasty temper, always treated her crew equally. She did not care about caste and jewel strength, and would adopt any who needed protection into her crew.

Thus the girls dubbed Jaenelle "Jackal Jaenelle", after a fierce dog that hunted in the deserts. (There weren't many effective pirate names beginning with 'J' after all.) The others had been given their pirate names thus: Jackal Jaenelle, Killer Karla, Gory Gabrielle, Malign Morghann, Kid Khary (he'd been assured it was a name for a historic, mean outlaw before taking it), Corpse Chaosti, Mad Morton, Adder Aaron (a snake) and Kalush had drawn the short straw and ended up playing a mermaid for the shoot, with a beautiful silvery tail. (Even the boys had been included in the Mermaid draw, which was Khary's idea. As Aaron drew his straw he was muttering the unpleasant things that would happen to Khary should hebe made Mermaid).

The girls (except Kalush) had been given striped tops with a low neckline (they were practically as low as the skimpy tops Karla and Jaenelle had worn for Jaenelle's party), belts and skirts and wore red lipstick. They'd all been given fake swords, and Jackal Jaenelle, grinning, wore the Captain's hat- a fantastically three pointed black hat, with a large purple feather in it. Mad Morton had a fake parrot on his shoulder. The others wore bandannas or skull caps with a skull and crossbones on it. Adder Aaron had a fake scar with stitches across his left cheek, Kid Khary had an eye patch across one eye, and Corpse Chaosti's hair had been twisted into neat dreadlocks. Killer Karla, not to be outdone, had a drawn on scar across her chin. The pirates clothes were patched and ragged, and they all looked rather menacing.

The set for the photo shoot was quite elaborate, an old wooden pirate ship painted black, and looking well worn, drifted on a sea of blue sheets. Fake rocks even littered the seascape. Malign Morghann posed for the photo with a wild grin, a dagger between her bared teeth. Gory Gabrielle was caught in a duel with Killer Karla (it looked frighteningly effective in the photo), Kid Khary and Mad Morton were doing some kind of mock-drunken Pirates dance, involving some leg kicking and fake glasses of beer, Corpse Chaosti was playing lookout with a telescope and Adder Aaron was grinningly hauling up a net, where the lovely mermaid was looking (au contraire to the normal tales) rather more cheeky than seductive, with her tongue sticking out at Adder Aaron.

After the photo shoot, the others were surprised when Jaenelle announced that she wanted a photo with Karla and Morton, but paired up accordingly. This time, the theme was 'Princes and Princesses', the Landen fairytale kind. They thought it was amusingly (as well as cheesily apt). Each witch got a gown and a tiara or crown; each warlord got a crown and cape. They consented for a quick group photo, understanding from landen history that the 'Kings' were the protectors, but took one instead in which the five Queens stood protectively over their Warlords, as the Warlords in turn stared challengingly at the camera. In their shot, Karla, Jaenelle and Morton decided to ham it up for the camera, the witches sitting either side of Morton looking at him in abject adoration, as he offered the camera a cheesy wink. Another photo Jaenelle took alone, her face smoothed into an indecipherable mask that would have made Saetan wary, with Karla and Morton's photo resulting in Karla harassing Morton with a wicked smile and Morton sighing.

Chaosti and Gabrielle meanwhile looked positively regal, nigh untouchable with their silver hair cascading down under silver crowns. Gabrielle sat on a stool, with Chaosti behind her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on his sword. Both looked fiercely and proudly at the camera, their Dea Al Mon heritage showing through; a Queen and a King.

Morghann and Khary were different again, the Prince and Princess, both being the absolute picture of mischief. It was easy to picture them as royal children, running around the castle and stealing a pie from the cook. (This was suspiciously similar to their actual childhood). Morghann's eyes were filled with laughter as she smiled easily at the camera, one hand grasped in Khary's, whose blue eyes were positively twinkling.

But it was Aaron and Kalush who really stole the viewers' attention in their shot. Aaron was standing over Kalush, looking down on her with an elusive something that was more than friendship, the emotion softening his determined stance. Kalush, caught by surprise, blushed prettily; neither even looking at the camera when the photo was taken, but staring into each others eyes. Jaenelle looked on with a small smile, knowing this photo she had manoeuvred them into was a prediction for the days to come.


	6. Playing Hunter

**Chapter Six: Playing Hunter**

The cottage they were staying at was perfect for the coven; it was away from the main town without being isolated; it was big enough for the coven without being a mansion, and most of all, it was right next to a forest.

"What are we going to do today?" asked Jaenelle, calmly sipping a cup of coffee as Aaron groaned and dragged himself out of bed. Khary had poked him into his awakened state, displaying more enthusiasm than anyone should rightfully have first thing in the morning.

"We could have a hunt!" Karla grinned wickedly.

"Define hunt..." Morton asked warily, remembering past times. In Morton's opinion, it was always a good idea to clarify Karla's statements, lest he end up with a broken arm yet again, or that time he ruptured his spleen... or when Karla had ended up with a gash from ankle to thigh. Thank the Darkness she was a Healer.

"Let's play Hunter!" she grinned, and Morton instinctively cringed. Hunter was similar to Hide and Seek, but for the fact there were two teams, each 'hunting' the other, and when found, the victim was sprung upon, and tied up. The victims weren't allowed to use the Jewels to escape (Jaenelle used her Black jewel on the rope), but the hunter was allowed to use the Jewels to tie the victim. No sight shields were allowed. It could be a surprisingly vicious game, and injuries were often sustained. Players also weren't allowed to cheat by way of conversing on spear or distaff threads.

"Why not." Morghann's eyes held a predatory gleam.

Khary, if possible, looked a mixture of excited, evil, sadistic, somewhat frightened, very apprehensive and both sure and unsure at the same time, all of which Morton attributed directly to Morghann. Morghann played to win; she was vicious and was not above resorting to underhanded tactics. It was always an …interesting experience playing hunter with her.

The girls of course, were all for it, even Kalush, who Morton had hoped would at least put up a token protest. Soon, all of them where wearing forest green clothes, and Gabrielle who had collected leaves, boiled some water and made face paint in the form of a leaf paste. Everyone would blend into the forest quite well.

"Are you nervous?" Morton hissed to Chaosti while the others were distracted.  
"Are you kidding!" Chaosti hissed back, and Morton took it to mean 'no'. Chaosti very definantly meant 'yes'.  
"Right, girls onto guys!" Gabrielle declared, grinning (in what was really more of a baring of teeth) at Chaosti, who swallowed reflexively and gave a small snarl back.

"Let's go guys." Aaron declared, and both parties set out to opposite sides of the forest.  
"We're going to get eaten alive." Chaosti deadpanned, as soon as they were out of range of the girls.  
"No we're not, show some spirit! Don't be a wuss Chaosti!" Khary suggested cheerfully.  
"You show some damn spirit." Morton muttered back at the same time Chaosti protested "I am NOT a wuss!"  
"Look guys, we're only going to get eaten alive if we LOSE. So we've got to win. It's as simple as that." Aaron stated matter-of-factly. "Yeah what happens if we win, though?" Chaosti muttered. The boyos stared at each other, frozen in horror with the thought of the witches' anger.  
"Hey… let's pretend he didn't say that." Aaron interjected hastily, and with that, they jumped into planning a war.

* * *

"Jaenelle? Are you even listening?" Kalush paused in the midst of her explanation of their war tactics. Jaenelle, who had been zoned out for the whole explanation, looked up with a grin, raising her hand and beckoning the witches in closer.  
"I know something that might just tip the game in our favour..."

_And the game commences..._

The girls split up, fanning out into the forest, even as the boys did the same. Chaosti and Gabrielle immediately took to the trees, cautiously climbing along overhanging branches and ready to drop on their unsuspecting prey. Jaenelle slunk warily through the woods, Morton took his courage into his hands and began hunting aswell, Karla was poking a stick into anything that rustled and preparing to jump it. Aaron had simply chosen a tree and elected to wait for his pray to come to him, Kalush tiptoeing around the forest as quiet as her Dea Al Mon team mates.

Morton was the first to catch a glimpse of someone else and pounce, jumping on his prey and wrapping the person up before he even realised who it was. Jaenelle just sat there, tied up and laughing.Morton gave an answering grin, before indicating she was to go to the place caught people were meeting in, a clearing in the forest. Jaenelle's legs weren't tied, and with a rueful grin, she did just that. Morton meanwhile set off again uneasily, with the distinct impression that he was being stalked...

"OOOF!" Morton gasped as a blur dropped from the trees directly onto him, and before he knew it, he too was bound.  
"Sorry Mor." Gabrielle grinned unrepentantly, sending him off to the 'caught' site, before ascending back into the trees with barely a ruffle.

Aaron was getting a bit bored, but had the surprise of his life, when a finger tapped him on the shouler.  
"Shit!" he swore, and only Chaosti's grip kept him from falling off the branch.

"Heads up, Kalush is coming this way. I'll herd her towards you." Chaosti grinned wolfishly at Aaron and disappeared into the foliage. Kalush heard the rustling in the trees, and nervously headed away from it, only to find herself unwittingly with her back to Aaron's tree. Aaron slid down carefully, before tiptoeing up to her as her eyes darted nervously around the trees. Quickly throwing his arms around her, he whispered "Caught!" as she screamed quickly in fright, tensing in Aaron's arms.

.:Everyone ok? I heard a scream:. Jaenelle called on the distaff thread, aimed at all the players.  
.:Sorry, that was me. I'm fine/caught:. Kalush admitted to everyone, and the threads closed as the game resumed.  
"You gave me a heart attack!" Kalush admitted to Aaron, who still had his arms around her.  
"Next time I pounce on you, I'll cover your mouth." Aaron replied cheekily, as Kalush stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't stick it out unless you're planning to use it." Aaron cockily informed her, as he used craft to bind her hands. Kalush blushed a brilliant shade of red, before practically running to the caught-site. Of course, Karla, having witnessed the whole incident with a smile, ran from behind the tree and tackled Aaron full on, tying him up before he even processed that things had changed.

Having caught Aaron, Karla walked off, bumping into someone else a short time later with a shriek.

"Morghann! I thought you were one of the guys!" Karla gasped, trying to get her breath back.  
"Who has been caught so far? I haven't seen anyone except you and Gabrielle." Morghann said with a smile.  
"Umm, Aaron caught Kalush then I caught him. That's all I know." Karla told her.  
"Ah, Morton jumped Jaenelle, then Gabrielle caught him." Morghann said, unknowing of two pairs of ears eagerly listening in above her.  
"So it's us, Khary, Chaosti and Gabrielle left in?" Karla gathered.

"Not for long." Khary informed them, as he and Chaosti dropped from the trees, capturing the two girls with grins. Karla glared at Chaosti as he used craft to tie her, Khary taking the time to sit on Morghann's stomach taunting her.

It was Gabrielle who saw the interloper first, looking curiously into the forest in his search. He wasn't part of their game, but that didn't mean that he couldn't fall victim to it… With a grin, she snuck up to where Chaosti and Khary were, jumping from the trees in front of them, before sprinting off.

"Gabrielle!" Chaosti yelled, as both the boyos gave chase.

Gabrielle meanwhile raced back the way she had come, giving the boys enough noise to follow her before she raced up a tree, hiding in silence. The boyos gave chase, pausing for a moment as she disappeared from their senses, but then hearing a sound in the bushes. Chaosti directed Khary with his hands, making movements before signalling to go, and they both leapt onto their victim, getting the rope around him before he escaped, although he got a good kick in at Chaosti.

Wait... him?

"OH SHIT!" Khary swore.  
"QUICK! GAG HIM AND TIE HIS FEET!" Chaosti instructed, wanting to prevent any harm to their persons.  
"Lucivar is going to kill us!" Khary whined.

Lucivar was indeed ready to kill them if looks were anything to go on. Unwittingly, Chaosti and Khary had pounced on Lucivar instead of Gabrielle. Lucivar soon realised Jaenelle had done the ropes, and stopped struggling, instead glaring at them with everything he had. Gabrielle meanwhile, was in the trees, laughing so hard she fell out of the trees in front of them.

"YOU!" Khary yelled, realising her part in the mishap. Gabrielle couldn't even stop laughing to reply.  
Chaosti quickly tied her up, before floating them both behind him.

.:Mission: Success:. Gabrielle sent out, continuing to laugh mentally on an open thread.  
.:I hope neither of you want children, Khary and Chaosti:. Lucivar ground out.  
.:What the hell happened:. cried Morton. At the caught-site, Jaenelle explained verbally to the group, who all burst out laughing.

"That's just EVIL." Aaron shook his head.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
The usual thanks go Erkith who makes my writing vaguely understandable! Chapter 8 deals with the creation of **GraveDiggers** so if you have any ideas, please let me know! (I'm currently workingone of Callie's suggestionsinto the story : D) Thankyou for being patient, both myself and Erkith have been very busy so I'm sorry for the delay. I'm working on chapter 8 now, and promise I will be faster.  
Please review...  
xoxo  



	7. Duana's Army

**Chapitre Sept- Duana's Army and Scelt Scelties**

By the time Jaenelle had convinced Lucivar not to mutilate Khary and Chaosti, Lucivar had turned his anger on her.  
"I thought you were supposed to check in with Lady Duana!" he yelled.  
"We were going to. Tomorrow." Jaenelle replied innocently.  
"No. You're going to. Now." Lucivar commanded, exasperatedly.  
They were hearded out, into a buggy, before even being able to change, and sat, unusually quiet.

"We won." Aaron couldn't resist informing the girls.  
"Only because we let you." Karla said mutiniously.  
"You LIE!" Morton cried.  
"Oh come on Mor, you were second caught." Morghann rolled her eyes.  
"So? We still won." Khary argued, falling silent, as Lucivar turned back to look at them, instantly stopping their arguement. When they rolled up to Lady Duana's, she came outside flustered.

"What on earth happened to you?" she cried out. Nine faces grinned at her, and one glared.  
"You look like an army!" she continued.  
"We're you're army, Lady Duana!" Khary informed her, trying to look innocent.  
"Don't you try pulling one over me Khardeen! I have known you all of your life. You will tell me what you are up to right now!" She demanded, Morghann laughing at Khary.

"We were just playing a game of Hunter..." Khary began.  
"...and that was when we jumped on Lucivar." Khary finished.  
"Which is why Luc's not very happy." Jaenelle smiled. Lucivar glared.  
Lady Duana choked at Lucivar SaDiablo-Yaslana being called "Luce". Even Yas was bad enough.  
"And why are YOU here, Lucivar?" Lady Duana inquired.  
Lucivar fidgetted.

"Let me begin, shall I?" Jaenelle grinned."Papa asked Lucivar to take me off his hands for a few weeks. We went to the theatre, and went shopping and none of them had the books or music I wanted. Poor Lucivar seemed a bit frustrated by the end of it, so went home to tell Papa to bar the door against any shop owners while I stayed at the cottage." Jaenelle grinned at Lucivar, who growled back.

"And why is Lucivar here now?" Lady Duana inquired, wishing she could rub her temples. She felt the beginning of a headache. She also thanked the Darkness that Saetan had the group most of the time. All eyes turned to Lucivar.

"I made the mistake of suggesting to Mrs Beale that a little more salt and pepper could have been used on the trout. The High Lord thought it prudent that I pay Jaenelle a visit." Lucivar informed them tartly, sending the Coven howling with laughter at his misfortune.

Lady Duana just stared at 9 green shapes, all in varying stages of laughter, rolling on her grass, covered in green gunk and smelling suspiciously of mint. "Go back to the cottage. You are not entering my house like this. In fact, you are not entering my house at all. I will tell the High Lord that you are fine." she commanded.

"But I-" Lucivar began.

"Go!" Lady Duana turned her back on them, leaving them on her lawn before she reconsidered her decision not to ban them from Scelt for life. As long as she didn't know about the mischief they wrought, she didn't care.

It was a slightly amused, somewhat annoyed and very frustrated Lucivar Yaslana who drove the buggy back to the cottage.  
"Looks like you're staying with us for the moment, Luc." Jaenelle grinned.  
"Apparently so." Lucivar grinned evilly at them all.  
"This is a holiday. We are NOT doing the sticks." Karla began.  
"No holiday is complete without the sticks." Lucivar retorted, put in a better mood by Karla's dismay.  
"Not more early morning wake-ups, I can't stand it!" Aaron muttered.  
"Awww Aar-ar, I thought you loved me poking you awake." Khary grinned.  
"Don't call me Aar-Ar." Aaron ground out.

Lucivar snickered.

"Shut up Lucivar." Aaron hissed, causing Lucivar to snicker harder. Morton just watched, open jawed at the fact Aaron had just told _Lucivar Yaslana_ to shut up. Apparently, Lucivar didn't mind.  
"Awww, look, we made yas-yas smile." Khary began. All of a sudden, the death glare was back and aimed squarely at Khardeen. Ok, so Lucivar minded that.  
"How come you've suddenly doubled everyone's names up?" Kalush asked.  
"Just thought it would be a nice change." Khary grinned back maddeningly, turning to Chaosti.  
"Don't even say it Khary." Chaosti glared.

Suddenly, the horses reared, drawing Lucivar's attention back to the road with a curse.  
"Woah!" Lucivar instructed. Jaenelle and the Coven climbed out, curious as to what was wrong.

There, on the road, lay a small sceltie puppy, whimpering.

"Ooh!" Kalush murmered, as Jaenelle picked it up, cradling it for a few moments.  
.:Thankyou Jaenelle:. a strange voice chimed in their heads.  
"Did ...Just... you?" Lucivar turned to the others, who nodded slowly.  
"Guys, this is Ladvarian. He's Kindred." Jaenelle smiled, before mentally conversing with the puppy again.  
.:Jaenelle's friends:. Ladvarian's tale wagged.  
.:Why has he got an Eyrien female endin on his name?" Lucivar asked Jaenelle, puzzeled.  
.:Don't know. A Black Widow always names the Kindred at birth:. Jaenelle informed him.  
"Are... Are there any more Kindred?" Khary choked out.  
"Oh yes, some of the scelties are Kindred, obviously, and several breeds of horses." Jaenelle replied airily.

"Oh Darkness." Morghann gasped.  
"You didn't think to mention that!" Lucivar asked Jaenelle, floored.  
"Sundancer is Kindred." Jaenelle pointed out, turning to the horse.  
"Sundancer... Kindred..." Lucivar choked.  
"Kindred..." Khary mumbled, over and over, staring first at Ladvarian, then Sundancer.

An annoyed yell alerted Lucivar to the fact their buggy was taking up the whole road.  
It was a testimony to his shock that Lucivar just moved the buggy, rather than blowing up at whomever was stupid enough to yell at him.  
"Let's get back on the road." Aaron finally suggested.  
"Doesn't Sundancer mind taking us?" Morghann finally asked timidly.  
Jaenelle turned to the horse. "No, he says it's fine as long as Lucivar doesn't pull on the reins. He knows where to go." Jaenelle smiled.  
"Kindred..." Khary muttered.  
"Yes Khary, I think we got that." Karla murmered sarcastically.

"Lady Duana will kill us!" Morghann suddenly realised.  
"Why?" Chaosti asked.  
"She breeds horses! And Scelties!" Morghann informed them.  
"...kindred..." Khary mumbled.

They got Ladvarian settled into the cottage relatively easily, the puppy running around eagerly in search of food and different people. He seemed to have figured out a family hierachy of his own. There was Jaenelle, Papa High-Lord, whom he hadn't yet met, Brother Lucivar, Jaenelle's future mate, Uncle Andulvar (another he hadn't met), cousin Gabrielle, cousin Karla, cousin Kalush, cousin Morghann, cousin Khardeen, cousin Chaosti, cousin Aaron and cousin Morton. Cousins Aaron and Kalush tried to hide it, but Ladvarian would have bet human money that they secretly wanted to have puppies together; not to mention the others who would pair up for their puppies. Ladvarian still had to find Jaenelle's mate; a fearsome task to be sure, but there would be time for that later.

.:Jaenelle! Your face isn't green anymore:. Ladvarian bounded over to her.  
"Yes, I washed it off." Jaenelle said in amusement.  
.:Can I be green one day:.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

OMG I tried and tried to get a question mark on the end of the last line (and obviously failed). It's really annoying me. Usual thanks to Erkith's Beta skills, because let's face it, she's awesome. :) Anyone else here a Harry Potter fan? I am so lame... Dumbledore's Army... Duana's Army? Get it? (I know. I'm really not funny. I should shut up now hey?)  
But anyhow any ideas, feel free to review. Please review anyway! Next Chap: **Grave Diggers**!  
xoxo


	8. Digging your own Grave

**Eight: Digging your own Grave**

And so it was that Lucivar stayed with them in their cottage. For the first day after the incident, the boyo's tiptoed around him carefully, quite fearful that the slightest foot wrong would mean their demise.

It was obvious to Jaenelle however; that Lucivar's revenge for the pouncing he'd received during Hunter would be well planned, executed, and ultimately, terrible in its ferociousness. Lucivar, after all, had decades of experience under his belt- Khary, for all his mischievousness- was a mere novice. But Jaenelle chose not to mention this to the boyos, and instead watch with amusement.

The next day, when all boys awoke, all appendages still intact, their confidence grew. This is not to say they weren't still paranoid, which Morghann and Karla took particular advantage of, pouncing on them when they least expected it. All in all, they were lucky more injuries hadn't occurred.

But Khary got bored, as young warlords do, and that marked the beginning of a new strain of mischief.

"Whatcha up to Khare?" Karla drawled annoyingly.

"Why Karla, how funny you should ask…" Khary grinned, and Aaron cornered her on the other side.

"You're making WHAT? Oh yeah right." Karla rolled her eyes.

"You don't believe us?" Aaron raised his eyebrows.

"That hurts… right here!" Khary said pointing to where he thought his heart was.

"If you were aiming for your heart, you got your spleen Khary." Chaosti informed him with a smirk.

"Why are you talking about Khary's spleen?" Jaenelle inquired with interest, as she approached their cauldron.

"Well… Karla said she didn't believe that we were making the alcoholic drink to end all alcoholic drinks!" Khary declared animatedly, which really explained nothing.

"This should be interesting." Chaosti sighed.

"What have you got in it?" Jaenelle asked, peering into the depths of the liquid.

"Trust you to be curious about the creation of a new potion." Gabrielle entered with Morton, Lucivar, Morghann and Kalush, and the whole situation was explained once more.

"So you want something that will knock even _Jaenelle _for six?" Lucivar queried, looking impressed despite himself. To get someone with a Black Jewel drunk was no mean feat. But Black Jewels plural…

"Yep." Khary confirmed casually.

"No one can say you don't have ambition." Lucivar commented dryly.

The first drink was one that Morton volunteered to test. After a large glass, he was assailed by a room that swayed as he walked. The effects took an hour to lessen. Jaenelle skulled a jug and felt nothing. And so another attempt was made.

"Remember, we're working with raw ingredients here. It's going to taste like glass going down." Lucivar reminded them.

"Hmmmm. I think we can fix that." Karla grinned, and dragged Kalush and Jaenelle off. They returned with a mixture of powders that looked faintly purple and smelled sickly sweet.

"Wait a moment, add these, and boil for 10 minutes more. That should get the effect we're after." Gabrielle explained.

"Make sure I test it first." Jaenelle instructed, electing to watch them to make sure no …mishaps… occurred.

"Why do you have to test it?" Lucivar asked warily.

"We added poison to it, Nightshade. Actually, mashed sugar and Nightshade. If you boil it correctly, it has hallucinogenic properties, basically like a much stronger version of alcohol." Karla informed them.

"And if you… didn't… boil it correctly?" Khary asked cautiously.

"Then that would be bad. In fact, it would make you very sick. Since we're using such small quantities, you probably wouldn't die, even without a Black Widow around so it's not really a big deal." Gabrielle informed them. The boyos promptly looked queasy.

"Test away." Morton mumbled as Aaron muttered, "Yeah, not a big deal."

A few more boilings (the Black Widows doubled the boiling time to be safe) of the Nightshade, the addition of the strongest alcohol Scelt had, and Khary adding his own special touch, they believed it to be ready…

"Khary… is anyone seriously going to drink that? It looks likely to eat through your stomach lining…" Chaosti looked concerned.

"Is that beaker… shit… JAENELLE!" Morghann panicked, as their "alcohol" slowly began to make a hole in the glass.

"Ooops. I don't think we cooked them long enough. Although I never knew it could do that!" Karla watched interestedly.

"Do something!" Lucivar growled, watching it.

"Must have been a reaction of that particular combination of ingredients… be right back!" Gabrielle hastily grabbed the beaker while it was still whole and carried it off into their 'lab'.

"Are we seriously doing this?" Aaron looked worried.

For once, Khary remained silent, staring rather dubiously in the direction that the beaker had gone.

"I think I've got just one more thing to add…" Jaenelle returned with a new beaker of the stuff, adding a spoonful of some unknown substance in a jar.

"What was that?" Khary asked curiously, at least wanting to know what was in the possible cause of his death.

"Honey." Jaenelle grinned.

Gabrielle tasted it, took a sip, then another. "Perfect."

"What, you don't feel that?" Morton asked, annoyed that he'd been drunk off of the first glass of the earlier, much less potent mix.

"Wu-OH!" Gabrielle slurred.

"And there she goes…" Khary grinned in satisfaction.

"This…ish fantashtic!" Gabrielle hiccuped, peering around her owlishly.

"Wow." Karla blinked.

"I guess that answers that question." Jaenelle stated dryly.

"You have perfected my brew Jaenelle!" Khary cried, overcome with emotion, before asking "What are you going to call your mix?"

"A Grave Digger." Jaenelle grinned wickedly.

"A Graffe Dizzer?" Gabrielle slurred.

"I think I might take her to go and lie down…" Chaosti steered the drunk Opal Jewelled witch out of the room, with Gabrielle stumbling and laughing about rainbows the whole way.

"Gabrielle? You need to go to bed now." Chaosti grinned as Gabrielle tripped over nothing and swore. She started dancing haphazardly, before twirling and calling in what had to be the most curious outfit ever. It was pink, vaguely sparkly and too small for Gabrielle, in that it showed her… natural gifts. It looked like a child's costume, and Gabrielle was no child!

"I'm a Fairrrryyyy!" Gabrielle smiled happily, before twirling some more. Chaosti sighed and muttered some choice words about unfounded legends.

"Chay-ostiiiiii?" Gabrielle questioned.

"Yes?" Chaosti steadied her again, hands on her waist as she turned to look him in the eyes. Despite her pupils being dilated and her unsteadiness, she still had an unearthly beauty with her delicately pointed ears and silvery blonde hair.

"You'reeee so pretty!" Gabrielle giggled, before touching her lips to his in an innocent and almost childlike kiss. This resulted in her losing balance, and pulling Chaosti and herself down onto the bed, Chaosti on top. Chaosti froze, feeling Gabrielle's curves for himself, and having to remind himself not to touch (on penalty of likely death). However much he enjoyed finding himself in this position, with reluctance, Chaosti eased his body off of her and paused.

Gabrielle was already asleep. Walking out the door sighing, he turned back to glare at the witch who'd continued to confuse him since they were 5.

"I am not _pretty_."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I got the feeling none of you liked the turn the last chapter had taken, so tried to inject a bit more romance/chemistry. I'll also try and make the chapters a bit longer. Feel free to review and suggest- to Callie, if you're out there, either the next chapter or the one after will have your suggestion… credited, of course! Edited as usual by _Erkith_.

Thanks and please review!  
xoxo


	9. What lies beneath

**Chapter Nine:** **What Lies Beneath**

Chaosti returned to the others after putting Gabrielle to bed, and they sat for a while and talked.

"I remember the day I met you, Jaenelle." Kalush said, smiling.

"It began with my math lesson." the others laughed as Jaenelle scrunched up her nose. "We were in Tajrana, Nharkhava, more precisely, I was in a tree and my tutor was below, reading the theory of long division to me. I'd lost attention long ago and started to slowly inch my way down the tree. I was, according to everyone I knew, going to be the Queen of our province, maybe even the territory Queen. My Jewel wasn't that strong, but they all seemed to feel that I'd be this powerful Queen they'd always wanted. But I didn't want to be. I wanted to be a dance teacher!" Kalush continued somewhat shyly. The others listened curiously.

"And all I could think was that they didn't want me for _me_. My parents loved me, but I don't think they truly understood how intimidated I was. My mother is the current Queen, and as much as she forces everyone to let her have time with us, it's hard. It was hard then. I just wanted a friend who wanted _Kalush_, not the future Queen."

* * *

_Kalush's memory…_

"Hello?" came a girl's voice.

"Hello?" Kalush hesitantly mimicked the call, as the owner of the voice made itself apparent in a thin girl with elaborately curled hair. Most likely the daughter of another Queen. For a moment, Kalush was disappointed.

"Who are you?" the other girl asked curiously.

"You don't know?" Kalush asked, surprised.

"Should I?" The girl hesitated, and Kalush smiled.

"I'm Kalush." She curtseyed prettily.

"I'm Jaenelle," Jaenelle laughingly grabbed her hand, "c'mon, let's go play!"

_End memory…

* * *

_

"And we ran off and spent the rest of the day climbing trees and playing swords." Kalush laughed musically.

"My tutor never realised what had happened, until mother asked why I'd come home with a hole in my skirt. I told her I was attacked by a Goblin, and she just laughed and said that next time I went to play with Goblins, I had to take my old clothes." Kalush grinned at the memory.

"And that time when she caught us raiding the kitchen, all she said was 'Pleased to meet you, try the chocolate chip cookies!'" Jaenelle remembered with a smile.

"Damn, how come Kalush's mum does recommendations when WE got grounded for a week!" Morton grumbled. An angry spark lit Karla's eyes for a moment, acknowledged by Jaenelle. No one else saw.

"So what are we doing tonight?" Aaron asked, looking up as Lucivar entered the room from outside where he'd been practising with the sticks.

"How can you ask that when you just created such a thing of beauty?" Khary cried as Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

"I guess we'll be celebrating then." Morton murmured curiously.

"I look forward to it." Jaenelle grinned.

_Later that night…_

"I did not!" Gabrielle shrieked as the rest of the coven burst into laughter upon hearing Gabrielle's drunken fairy impersonation.

"I would not lie!" Chaosti raised an eyebrow, half amused, half offended.

"Gabrielle… fairy…" Karla wheezed from the floor where she'd collapsed laughing.

"Well it's better than the alternative, isn't it?" Morghann suggested practically.

"What's the alternative?" Gabrielle asked suspiciously. Karla, Kalush and Jaenelle exchanged a look and subtly took a step back, covering their ears.

"That he dressed you in that as a practical joke while you were unconscious, seeing you naked of course." Morghann grinned, fully anticipating the screeched "WHAT!" that followed.

"Ouch." winced Morton.

"WHAT?" yelled Aaron.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU." Khary yelled.

"Mother night woman, you can scream." Lucivar hissed, shaking his head a little in an attempt to stop the ringing in his ears. Poor Chaosti looked mortified.

"Gabrielle I would never…" Chaosti began. She simply turned on him, fire flashing in her eyes, making it clear that _he_ was to blame for bringing up the whole incident.

Chaosti just groaned.

By the time they all made it to the bottles that they'd put the gravediggers in, most of their hearing had returned and Gabrielle was not speaking to Chaosti. This in turn had meant that the witches were ignoring the boyos, (for the most part, sympathetically). Jaenelle just shook her head at them all in amusement, standing on the sidelines with Lucivar.

"What just happened there?" Lucivar groaned to himself more than Jaenelle.

"Don't worry, keep watching and you'll learn what a 'social' situation is." Karla piped up cheekily.

"So am I to understand that getting drunk and blaming someone else for your actions is being 'social'?" Lucivar asked dryly.

"Yes!" Gabrielle snapped.

"Yes." Chaosti groaned.

"Yep." Karla nodded airily as Morton snickered.

"This is what I have to look forward to!" Lucivar turned to Jaenelle in horror, who grinned and handed him a grave digger.

"Drink up!"

* * *

It was sometime later, (the boyos were a gravedigger down, the witches not as bad, Lucivar was 3 down and tipsy and Jaenelle was 5 down and very slightly tipsy) and Khary was standing on the kitchen table. 

"I LOOOOOVVVVE YOU BAYYYYBEEEE…." Khary cried, pointing at Lucivar, who promptly snorted and twisted Khary around until he was pointing at Morghann. Jaenelle choked.

"Nowsh thatsh shomthing yoush don'tsh shee everydaysh!" Morton grinned, before hugging Karla.

"Yeesh! Get off me!" Karla cried, tripping over her own feet and sending them both to the floor.

"Men!" Karla cried, disgusted, as Morton giggled.

"Men." Kalush sighed, looking to Aaron who stared back, grinned intensely and licked his lips.

"Men." Morghann raised an eyebrow at Khary, who was now facing Lucivar again and singing to him. ("Morg, your eyeth are like diamondth!")

"Men." Gabrielle glared at Chaosti, who shrank back in a drunken over-reaction.

Lucivar glanced around him, before beckoning the witches in. The boyos didn't really notice as Jaenelle, Karla, Lucivar, Gabrielle, Kalush and Morghann disappeared into the next room, and certainly didn't heed the snickering coming from the room as their sneaky plot was hatched.

* * *

You had to hand it to Lucivar; he really did _not_ like Khary's declarations of love. 

The plot was executed at 0100 hours, with 4 girls suddenly losing their grievances against the boyos, and instead becoming much more sociable. By 0200 hours, the gravediggers were flowing… on the boyos' side. By 0300 hours… 6 figures contemplated the 4 prone bodies lying on the floor. Stealthily, the boyos were dragged into their room and stripped down to their underwear, the girls averting their eyes a little as Lucivar chuckled darkly. By 0330 the boys were positioned, Khary and Aaron sprawled on one bed, limbs tangled as they lay completely knocked out by the alcohol. Kalush timidly brushed her hand over Aaron's black hair; in his sleep, Aaron sighed happily.

"I feel kind of bad doing this…" Kalush hesitated.

"I don't!" Morghann said with great satisfaction, before covering her lips in bright red lipstick and kissing Khary and Aaron on their cheeks, then covering the boys' lips shakily in the lipstick and handing it to Gabrielle, who (somewhat dubiously) mimicked her actions on Chaosti and Morton, coupled together.

"Morghann." murmered Khary and clutched Aaron tighter. The onlookers snickered.

"Now for the placement…" Karla said with glee, making them face each other, shifting Aaron's hand to Khary's ass, and moving Khary's hand to Aaron's chest. Next, they made Morton and Chaosti face each other and positioned Morton's hand on Chaosti's cheek, and Chaosti's hand around Morton's waist. It might have been their dreams (of Morghann, Gabrielle, Kalush), or it might just have been the source of heat, but Chaosti's hand tightened around Morton's waist, Aaron and Khary moving closer together.

They were going to get the surprise of a lifetime when they awoke.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm SORRY about such a long break between updates but by the time I had holidays and finished this chapter, I couldn't get a hold of Erkith and so I posted it today anyhow and I'm none-too-happy with it, it's patchy and no doubt has many a mistake. (I am tired and hungover!)  
Please review! Oh, and I changed my pen name from Lady11Occult to NaraOccult :)  
xoxo


	10. Shadows and Light

**Chapter 10: Shadows and Light **

The next day dawned bright and beautiful, the serene tranquillity broken with one very girly shriek, a sleepy "Wha…?", a manly yell of utter terror and a soft snoring being emitted from the boyos' room. The witches had been enjoying a bowl of cereal in the kitchen.

"I think they woke up." Morghann grinned, and the girls all fell over themselves (in Kalush's case, literally, when she accidentally tripped over Morghann's overalls) to rush into the next room. Lucivar was already there, smirking at the chaos before him. Aaron was desperately trying to fend Khary off; the Opal Jewelled Warlord was still asleep, clutching at Aaron and mumbling. Chaosti was sitting on the floor (having fallen out of the bed), staring at Morton in panic. Morton was rubbing sleep from his eyes and clearly wondering what the hell was going on.

"Red is fire… fire burns… don't get on the bad side of fire…" Khary clutched Aaron harder, despite Aaron's best attempts to shake him off.

"He's dreaming about Morghann again." Morton mumbled, before curiosity got the better of him.

"So what happen-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Aaron yelled, finally resorting to using craft to pry Khary off of him.

"I… He… We…" Chaosti whimpered.

"Don't worry, I can help him out. He woke up cuddling Morton." Lucivar elaborated, enjoying the boyos' discomfort.

"He did? Me?!" Morton looked back and forth between himself and Chaosti, before moaning, head in his hands.

"How did you get here so fast?" Karla asked, impressed.

"…." Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

Karla stared at Lucivar.

Lucivar stared at Karla.

The boyos stared at them.

The witches stared at them.

"He was here when I woke up…" Chaosti said slowly.

Karla snickered.

"You waited here all night to see it?" Morghann asked incredulously.

Lucivar just looked at Morghann.

"Ok ok!" Morghann backed down, Karla continued to snicker.

Morton looked slowly at Chaosti, before looking to Aaron who once again was trying to pry Khary off. (During their time of staring distraction, Khary had latched on again and was snoring softly into Aaron's arm.)

"We'll leave you to … sort some things out." Karla snickered, before the witches and Lucivar withdrew, leaving three very confused and worried boyos.

It took 3 hours and 15 mins, including Khary waking up, having everything explained to him, Khary throwing up, Chaosti mumbling "Why?!" approximately 73.7 times for them to work it out.

"Why m-" Chaosti began for the 74th time.

"Mother night, shut UP Chaosti!" Aaron groaned.

"It's not right…" Morton mumbled, remembering Karla's parting grin.

"Damn straight it's not right." Khary groused.

"No, we've slept in a room together before, we've been drunk before… and this never happened." Morton began slowly.

"We were never THAT drunk before." Khary corrected him.

"But still, don't you think it was a little too perfect? Why would we all gravitate towards the others? Maybe two of us would… like… Khary and Chaosti… but all four?" Morton pondered.

"Hey!" Chaosti growled.

"I resent that!" Khary muttered for the record.

"He's right…" Aaron began slowly, ignoring the looks of extreme discontent by Khary and Chaosti.

"Think, who would profit the most from this?" Morton continued.

"You… you think the witches did this?" Chaosti's face began to darken with understanding.

"Woah, we can't accuse them unless we're SURE." Khary cautioned.

"The look Karla gave me, their lack of surprise…. it was them." Morton moaned, embarrassed.

"Still, we need proof. Let's pretend everything is fine until we get it." Khary advised wisely and for once, the boyos _didn't_ regret listening to him.

* * *

The coven (minus Lucivar) had decided to take the buggy and head out for a ride. The fresh air was inviting to the hung over boyos, and the girls being Queens; loved to feel the connection to the land.

It wasn't until they had left Maghre that Jaenelle's happy demeanor began to change, and when the Coven noticed she'd withdrawn into herself, they worried. She still hadn't regained all of her memories, and none of them wanted to go back to the frightening time when she'd disappeared without a trace, vanished from their lives.

"I've got to go, I'm needed somewhere." Jaenelle informed them solemnly.

"Where?" Kalush asked in concern.

"Near the border of Glacia." Jaenelle murmered vaguely, standing to exit the buggy. The rest of the coven stood as well, determined not to let her slip away again, and Jaenelle looked at them questioningly.

"We're going with you." Gabrielle said determinedly. Jaenelle looked at them in silence, calculating, as the coven collectively held their breath.

Would Jaenelle take them with her?

"Sisters… brothers…. Let's go." Jaenelle announced, and the Coven grinned at one another, before their smiles fell as they remembered that something was seriously wrong.

Since they weren't at a landing web, Jaenelle had to pluck the Rose Wind; showing the Coven who reached for it and caught the Winds. When Jaenelle signalled for them to descend, they weren't at a landing web either and the Coven had to blindly trust Jaenelle as they dropped off of the Wind. They were in a clearing surrounded by a forest, Jaenelle signalling for them to remain silent.

Karla, on edge as she was and having descended to the Sapphire felt the merest flicker of the Black as it rolled over their surroundings, checking for intruders, but no one else would have realised. Jaenelle looked at them, and Witch stared back.

"Let's go." She whispered.

They travelled sombrely through the forest until they reached another clearing, where the Coven instinctively gasped and recoiled. In front of them alone lay 3 dead Arcerians, stabbed, blasted with power, and a young Arcerian, also dead, it's throat slit. A vaguely obscene pink stained their fur, their own blood.

"The Arcerians managed to scare the group before they could harvest the fur." Jaenelle said, her voice tight with fury.

"Who would do this?" Aaron breathed in horror.

" Hobart." Karla spat.

Jaenelle cocked her head, before gliding into the forest and leaving the Coven with a dilemma.

"Should we follow her?" Kalush asked, weighing her friendship with Jaenelle's need for distance.

"Let her do what she needs to. We've got work to do." Chaosti decided grimly, staring around the clearing.

"Who will do what?" Khary asked, taking stock of the tasks.

"How about two groups: Karla, Morton, Aaron and Kalush, and then myself, Chaosti, Morghann and Khary? A healer in each group." Gabrielle suggested.

"What about the hunters?" Kalush asked nervously.

"I'd assume Jaenelle made sure they were gone, and if they come back, she can take care of them." Khary reminded her. With that, the groups separated into different directions, taking care to remember that they were dealing with wild, unpredictable and intelligent animals… Kindred.

Karla's group walked a little way through the forest before Aaron spotted a trail of blood. Following it through the undergrowth, they found an injured fully grown Arcerian who had obviously tried to hide. The Arcerian bared its teeth at them.

"We are with Jaenelle, and we want to heal you. Will you let us?" Khary asked cautiously, palms up to show no hostility.

.:Go Away Humans!:. came the weak reply on a white thread.

.:I can heal you! We want to help!:. Karla announced openly on a white thread.

.:Jaenelle's humans?:. the Arcerian asked grudgingly.

"Jaenelle's brothers and sisters." Morton replied.

.:Then… help the Kitten:.

_With Gabrielle's group…_

Gabrielle's group had found nothing so far, but Gabrielle and Chaosti, with the forest skills of the Dea Al Mon, were wary. Their instinct was warning them something was wrong, but it was just a feeling. Nothing seemed out of place.

"Stop moving!" Jaenelle's command floated out of the foliage seconds before she pushed through, carrying something carefully.

"Jaenelle?" Kalush questioned cautiously.

"These are my humans. They are here to help. They mean you no harm." Jaenelle announced to their seemingly empty surroundings, as the group waited. The air seemed to ripple, and one by one, five fully grown Arcerian's appeared as if out of the air. The group jumped.

"Sight Shields." Jaenelle said amused at the group's surprise. "They were hunting you." Kalush turned green.

"Come on, there are injured we need to heal." Jaenelle pointed with one hand, and the group followed.

_With Karla's group…_

.:Then… help the Kitten:. The Arcerian demanded.

"What Kitten?" Karla asked in confusion, searching the area.

The sightshield that the Coven never suspected was dropped, enabling them to see another Arcerian guarding a wounded cub. Karla rushed over to it and began assessing its wounds.

"Aaron, pass me the water flask. Kalush, could you help hold his paw still?" Karla began to heal.

As they were finishing up, Gabrielle's group and Jaenelle joined them, a small white bundle with pink streaks in her arms.

"Is he…" Morton trailed off.

"He lives. They killed his entire family." Jaenelle explained, looking at the Arcerian cub, which opened blue eyes to stare at the group.

"What's his name?" Khary asked.

"Kaelas; Kaelas is his name."

* * *

It was never specifically announced that Kaelas would be joining the group; Jaenelle simply never put the Arcerian down, and no one commented on it. Khary and Morton did enjoy the anticipation of Lucivar's reaction, however.

Said Eyrien returned to the cottage to find Gabrielle and Morghann cooing over what looked like a water-logged fluffy toy in their wash basin.

A water-logged fluffy toy that _growled_.

.:Brother Yas! Brother Yas!:. came Ladvarian's excited mental voice as Lucivar resisted the urge to put his hands to his temples; he could feel a headache coming on. He'd ended up instructing Ladvarian to call him "Yas" after the stumbling blocks of "Lu'var" and "Sihvar".

.:What Ladvarian?:. Lucivar asked, dimly wondering what the hell was going on.

.:Jaenelle has a Kitten!:.

Lucivar was pretty sure "kittens" didn't growl quite like that. Along with Ladvarian, he stalked over to their newest addition.

While Ladvarian was nosing up to the "kitten" (who tried to swipe at him), Lucivar noticed the details… such as the water was pink… stained red. Blood.

Ignoring the others, he went straight to the room Jaenelle was in, her back to the door.

"Why didn't you call me?" Lucivar growled, ignoring pleasantries. Jaenelle turned around.

"Your presence was not needed, Prince." Witch replied, before studying Lucivar and his frustration. A moment of silence ensued, Witch waiting for Lucivar to say the words he needed to say.

"You know I would have done whatever had to be done." Lucivar muttered hoarsely.

They both watched as the white Arcerian Kitten and the Sceltie puppy curled up together to sleep; Kaelas pawing Ladvarian whenever the puppy moved too much. Witch looked from Ladvarian to Kaelas, the pair taking strength and comfort from each other, seeing the paralells between herself and Lucivar. Lucivar would have done what ever needed to be done, but at what cost?

"I know, Prince," Witch answered with a sad smile, "I know."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Another chapter done! I tried to inject more emotion into this one because I thought people were getting bored with this story... Thanks as per usual to Erkith who took time out of her schedule to Beta for me. She suggested I change the end of this chapter instead of leaving it where it was, and I changed it a little... but left it basically the same, so if you hate it, it's my fault! I wanted to end it on a solemn acknowledgement of Lucivar, who isn't quite as devoted as Daemon's absolute devotion, but would still kill or die for Witch.  
Please... let me know what you think! Suggestions welcome!  
xoxo


	11. As a Reminder

**Coven**  


**Summary: **5 Witches. 4 Warlords. 3 Kindred. 2 Abuses of fruit. 1 Lucivar Yaslana. Pranks. Romance. Revenge. Explosions! Scelt is never going to be the same! Little Terreille has another thing coming! HEIR's Canon Characters! Beta'd by Erkith.

**Disclaimers: **Angst warning ahead! No, this will still be a generally light hearted story, but after some great story counselling from Erkith, I decided to take a slightly more serious twist in the form of actually having some plot. Surprise!

**  
Chapter 11: As a Reminder**

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

The long drawn out scream pierced the still morning, coming from outside the cottage.

"Oh yes! Go Fish!" Aaron grinned smugly at Khary who picked up a card, the pair blithely unaware of the 10 witches and warlords bristling (two quite literally, in the case of Kaelas and Ladvarian) behind them. Of course, being themselves, they had good instincts.

.:There's someone behind us, isn't there?:. Khary sent on a spear thread to Aaron. A drop of sweat rolled down Aaron's face.

.:You did just scream rather loudly and realistically:. Aaron pointed out.  
.:Think if we just don't turn around, they'll go away?:. Khary asked hopefully.

.:Not a chance:. Aaron sighed.  
.:If I can't see them, they can't see me!:. Khary cried.

"KHARDEEN!" Morghann screamed in anger, face red, entire body shaking. Slowly, with white faces, the guilty warlords turned around.

"…yes, Morghann?" Khary grimaced, noting that behind Morghann, everyone was lined up to yell at them. In Lucivar's case, he'd be lucky if a yelling was all he'd get.

"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DYING! ALL I AM TRYING TO DO IS TO GET A FEW HOURS SLEEP, WHEN YOU INCONSIDERATELY TRY AND GIVE US ALL A HEART ATTACK!" Morghann yelled. The crowd behind her nodded angrily, with the exception of Morton, who seemed quite sympathetic.

"AND YOU COULDN'T WAIT UNTIL A NORMAL TIME, OH NO. SEVEN AM! THE TIME THAT IS PRACTICALLY DAWN! THE BIRDS AREN'T FREAKING AWAKE YET!!" Morghann continued. Chaosti had a comical look on his face, as he whispered on a spear thread to Morton .:Well if they weren't awake before, they certainly are now!:.

Meanwhile, Lucivar was looking like Morghann had grown another head.

.:She doesn't handle mornings well, remember? Don't worry, she'll get back to the scare they gave us:. Jaenelle informed him, knowing full well that Lucivar chose to rise with the sun, spending the early hours in training.

"WE CAME ON THIS HOLIDAY TO RELAX AND HAVE A PEACEFUL, RESTFUL TIME, SO YOU DECIDE TO PULL A STUNT LIKE THIS?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE A BIT MORE MATURE, BUT I GUESS I WAS WRONG!"

Aaron opened his mouth, but Khary quickly kicked him under the table.

.:Don't. You'll only bring her wrath on you:. Khary advised, as Jaenelle looked on in amusement, guessing what had been said. Morton and Chaosti were plain sympathetic now, although Lucivar was far from mellowed.

"I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOVELY DREAM, WHERE YOU WERE MATURE ENOUGH TO RESPECT THE OTHERS AROUND YOU, WHEN SUDDENLY I HEAR YOU SCREAMING! CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT I THOUGHT? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN ON FIRE, OR FALLING DOWN A CLIFF!" Morghann continued, seeming to be able to yell without taking a breath. Ladvarian backed away, and Gabrielle shook her head with a sigh, giving up her anger to comfort the puppy. Karla took a look around her and laughed to herself a little. Khary and Aaron were certainly getting their comeuppance, Khary from Morghann, and Aaron from the reproachful look Kalush was giving him. Kalush was not angry perse, just disappointed, but it is often disappointment that bites the hardest.

"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED, OR INJURED, WITH BROKEN LIMBS, OR BITTEN BY SOMETHING! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN ATTACKED! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF?! NEXT TIME YOU SCREAM I WILL JUST LAUGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS AFRAID FOR YOU!" Morghann continued, and Lucivar turned to her incredulously, amazed that she was still yelling. Khary looked a little nervous at the myriad of injuries she'd come up with.

"IF I PULLED A STUPID STUNT LIKE THAT YOU'D NEVER FORGIVE ME, AND I'D NEVER HAVE THE UTTER INDECENCY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SOMEONE ELSE! YOU NOT ONLY SCARED ME, YOU SCARED EVERYONE ELSE HERE TOO! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD!" Morghann seemed to finish, breathing heavily and turning to the others.

"You want a turn?" Morghann offered. Lucivar blanched.

"I think you covered the main points." Jaenelle said in amusement.

"Yes, well… I'm going back to bed now." Morghann stated, and with one final glare at Khary and a shell-shocked Aaron, she stumbled inside and returned to sleep, leaving the group standing there.

Lucivar shook his head a moment, and went inside, muttering to himself under his breath. Karla laughed at the two warlords, blew them a kiss and continued inside to make breakfast, under Gabrielle's watchful eyes. Jaenelle was not allowed in the kitchen when Karla was, and vice versa. Kalush followed her, not looking at Aaron, and Jaenelle, Gabrielle, Morton and Chaosti began to turn around and head back to the cottage again too.

"See. Redheaded witches have fearsome tempers. Especially early in the morning." Khary noted.

"Yeah." Aaron breathed.

.:Fearsome indeed:. Ladvarian agreed on a general thread.

.:They deserved:. Kaelas sniped, and the Kitten trotted inside, head held high.

"Oh the kitten did not just diss us." Aaron growled.

.:Kaelas!:. Ladvarian followed him, protesting, as Lucivar laughed and headed back too.

"Hey… wait a minute… You lost Khary." Aaron grinned.

"No I… damn it I did!" Khary swore.

"You know what that means…" Aaron whistled.

"What do I have to do?"

* * *

"Morning guys!" Morghann smiled, and Lucivar turned to look at her incredulously. 

"Morning!" Jaenelle smiled.

"Not angry anymore?" Lucivar enquired, and Morghann looked puzzled for a moment.

"Oh, that wasn't a dream? Well, they shouldn't have woken me up. I'm sure they've learnt their lesson!" Morghann smiled and went in to see what breakfast leftovers were available.

"As I said Lucivar, not a morning person." Jaenelle grinned.

Morton made a choking sound, and Jaenelle was confused… until he pointed past her.

Chaosti chose that moment to enter, and opened his mouth, but after moving it up and down a great deal, the only thing that came out was a strange, high pitched whine.

"What the hell?!" Lucivar voiced all of their thoughts.

There stood Khary, magnificently decked out in a fruit bikini. A carved out watermelon covered his nether regions, while an orange peel bikini top clung to his chest. A hollowed out pineapple formed an impressive crown on his head, while a necklace of grapes rested at his throat. He also wore banana peel shoes.

"What in the realms…" Kalush gaped, as Aaron, gasping for breath and with tears of laughter in his eyes made it to lean on the doorway.

Jaenelle meanwhile was studying him vividly, as if trying to commit the sight to memory.

"Err, finished looking Jaenelle?" Khary asked awkwardly.

"I need to remember clearly for my memory web!" Jaenelle grinned, and raced out of the room.

Khary tried to chase her, only to run straight into her as she stared at the letter which had fallen to the floor. The letter was rather mangled, looking like it had been stepped on a few times, dragged inside or around the house and covered in muddy pawprints. Khary made a mental note to teach Kaelas and Ladvarian about what not to play with. What concerned him more was that the writing was visible, and he doubted Jaenelle was disturbed by the mud.

"Jaenelle?" Khary asked cautiously.

Drawn by the tension in his voice, Karla and Morghann materialised at their sides.

"I recognise that writing." Morghann growled, ignoring the state of the letter.

Karla nodded darkly." The Dark Council of Little Terrielle."

"Jaenelle?" Morghann asked.

"Lets not talk about it." Jaenelle pulled a smile onto her face.

"Are you sure?" Karla asked.

"I'm sure. It is a subject for another time." A shadow of Witch showed through, convincing the others to drop the subject, even if they did not forget. Instead they all sat down together and prepared to distract her from what the girls clearly considered bad news.

"So what are we going to do now?" Morton asked.

"More history, since Lucivar's outside practising the sticks! How did everyone else meet Jaenelle?" Kalush asked enthused.

"So who wants to go next then?" Gabrielle asked agreeing.

"I guess I will, considering Sabrina's not here. My meeting with Jaenelle wasn't quite as light-hearted as yours were." Aaron began, showing a more sombre look with Jaenelle.

"Sabrina and I thought it would be a great adventure to go exploring up in the mountains one afternoon. The problem was, we quickly got lost and had no food or supplies. We were young and naïve, and we were cold, tired and hungry by the time nightfall came and Sabrina slipped and fell, hitting some rocks on the way down. By the time I got to her, her arm was at an odd angle and her leg had a huge gash, leaking blood everywhere…" Aaron paused solemnly, face darkening with the memory.

_Aaron's Memory…_

"SABRINA!" Aaron shouted panicking. Sabrina's eyes flickered and watered.

"It… it hurts!" Sabrina cried weakly.

"Help- HELP!" Aaron shouted in desperation, begging and pleading, but the night remained silent and unmoving.

"Sabrina… I'm sorry… it was my fault… please get better!" Aaron bent over Sabrina, but she'd fallen unconscious and was unresponsive.

"Wake up!" Aaron nudged her gently.

"Hello?" A soft voice called.

"Help?!" Aaron turned wildly.

"I can help." The girl smiled at him, moving over to Sabrina. The young child never questioned the strange girl's motive or ability to help.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Aaron, that's Sabrina." Aaron told her, lip trembling, watching as she pulled a large basin from nowhere, with hot water and a sponge, and began to gently clean Sabrina's leg.

"I'm Jaenelle." With each brush of the sponge, the wound grew more shallow until it closed completely with only a silvery line and slightly pink flesh to show where it had been. Jaenelle set Sabrina's arm as light began to brush over the hills and wonderstruck, Aaron moved towards Jaenelle.

"How do you do that? It's so cool!" Aaron said eagerly.

"I don't know how I do it… I just… can.." Jaenelle said quietly.

"I have to go now…" Jaenelle stood, looking from Sabrina to Aaron.

"Keep her warm and make sure she doesn't strain her arm or leg… they're only just healed. Stay here and your family will find you." Jaenelle instructed and turned to leave, using craft to make a spiral of light in the sky over the two children.

"Wait!" Aaron cried and Jaenelle paused.

"Thankyou…" Aaron finished, and Jaenelle smiled and vanished as if she'd never been there.

_End Memory_

"I stayed with Sabrina until our families found us, and boy were they angry!" Aaron whistled.

"When I explained about Sabrina, they looked at her leg and sent her to healers, who surprised, told them it had been healed as skilfully as they could. I'd told them Jaenelle fixed it, but they still checked it. We didn't see you again for three months and people said I'd imagined it, but I always believed." Aaron's eyes fell on Jaenelle.

"I knew you'd never let us down." He said simply.

And Jaenelle smiled, truly smiled- and suddenly her missing past, her grevious injuries, everything washed away and for the night, they were content to to be nine children away from parental supervision… and with plenty of spare pillows.

And if Lucivar got smacked in the face with a pillow when he tried to return later, and returned to find feathers floating around the room as if it were snowing softly and Kaelas gnawing on the corner of his own pillow… he wisely chose to say nothing… and grin and let a pillow do his talking.  
If only Saetan could have seen them now…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

And Coven is back! As I mentioned above in the disclaimer, Erkith suggested I explore the impact of Jaenelle's visits to the Dark Council in Little Terreille. I was thinking that rather than focus on Jaenelle while she's there, I'd focus on her absence back with the Coven.  
And as for the delay, I had writers block… and I find that it's always more tempting to write where you get more reviews, and so I've been paying more attention to one of my other stories. I do plan to finish this- I want to finish the stories I've got now come hell or the proverbial high water so it will get done… with Erkith's prodding no doubt!

So give me some feedback kiddies, what you liked/didn't like in this chapter and what you think of my plans…

xoxo Nara


	12. Karla Wonders

**Coven**

Nara Occult

**Summary:** 5 Witches. 4 Warlords. 3 Kindred. 2 Abuses of fruit. 1 Lucivar Yaslana. Pranks. Romance. Revenge. Explosions! Scelt is never going to be the same! Little Terreille has another thing coming! HEIR's Canon Characters! Beta'd by Erkith.  
**Disclaimers:** I do not own the Realms, Characters or the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop, and make no profit from this.

**Chapter 12:** Karla Wonders

The blonde girl stared at the letter in silence. Another demand from the Dark Council. Another so-called socialising event. More boys demanding kisses, and dark looks in their eyes telling her they wanted more than she had to give.

"They want you back again don't they?" the acid tongued Sapphire Queen asked slowly.

"I leave today." Jaenelle replied hollowly, and Karla cursed as she saw all the good that the holiday had done Jaenelle stripped away before her eyes. The eyes of her best friend were haunted and strained again.

Karla sometimes wondered exactly what had happened to Jaenelle, but a sinking feeling inside threatened to rear its head like a frightening monster every time she tried. When their friends were around and Jaenelle was smiling, she could pretend that she hadn't run to Saetan SaDiablo for sanctuary from her own uncle, could pretend she didn't see beneath Jaenelle's little-girl mask, could pretend she hadn't heard Jaenelle's nightmares. The cries had kept her awake in her bed shivering, not daring to move, filled with an icy rage that threatened to overwhelm her. How dare someone hurt her?

That night Karla had slept with a stuffed toy for the first time since she'd arrived at the SaDiablo residence. Karla knew enough from Morton that Jaenelle had been hurt, badly. And she knew enough that the violation had been from a male… in the worst way possible. Oh Morton hadn't been able to voice it, nor had he tried. It had been easily read in the way his fists clenched and unclenched, the way his voice broke halfway through her name… the way he'd shadowed Karla everywhere afterwards, glaring at the males who would have liked to force her to submit, and glaring only a little more softly at the males who were still untouched by the taint.

Karla could only imagine the betrayal and sickness Morton would have felt, knowing him. Despite the fact that Morton had no control over what other people did, Morton would still have stood in front of the mirror, wondering if he should be cursing his gender. The male anatomy… it was a tool that could give pleasure to a loved partner… or be wielded as a weapon. Karla was thankful that she'd never fallen for the opposite sex, had had no interest in the male species at all.

"I'm going with you." Karla decided impulsively.

"Darling, you may be slim but you're not that thin that they won't notice an extra person." Jaenelle smiled, and Karla reinforced her previous decision to go with Jaenelle.

"So what? They wanted you there so badly; they can accommodate your guest. Tagalongs are brought to 'social gatherings' all the time, and we can share a bed if we need to." Karla grinned.

"You want to go that badly?" Jaenelle mused, and Karla seized on the excuse, regardless of knowing that neither believed it.

"I miss those Glacian parties so much." Karla deadpanned.

"Well you'd better pack then. We leave in an hour." Jaenelle replied, amused, and went to inform the others.

By the time Karla and Jaenelle were safely ensconced in the coach and looking somewhat sadly back at the waving figures disappearing into the distance, they were running a good hour off schedule. Morton had been understandably, worried about the both of them going. While Jaenelle had never discussed her reluctance and revulsion, the tension in everyone could be noticed and felt. But Jaenelle had firmly put down any suggestions that she not abide by the Dark Council's instructions. Karla had looked pointedly at all of them, and stated simply that "One witch alone is prey. Two witches together can back each other up."

"So what's so bad about these parties? Too boring?" Karla tried flippantly, but Jaenelle sensed the need for the question to be answered.

"All the boys, and all the girls… and I can never fit in. I try so hard, but the girls…" Jaenelle whispered.

"They talk about dresses, when I'd rather be in overalls. They talk about politics when they should listen to the land. They talk about the need for strong males when there's a bigger need for strong, compassionate Queens. They were makeup, they never say what they're thinking, and all I can think is that _nothing's changed._ When I'm in Little Terreille, it's like I'm back in Challiot… in Briarwood." Jaenelle closed her eyes and Karla shivered, remembering a snatch of a nightmare she'd overheard.

"_Briarwood… Uncle Bobby… ROSE!"_

"The boys… they don't like me, but they want me. Their eyes are filled with hunger but not care. They don't want _me_; they want a body, a mindless puppet. Little Terrielle grows more like its namesake… and I don't know if I can do anything." Jaenelle looked away in impotent disgust.

"Jaenelle… we all know who you are, but even… even you can't fix the world. You know that right? You are _not_ responsible for their decisions!" Karla said vehemenently.

Jaenelle just smiled sadly, and Karla's rage crystallised. Anyone who wanted Jaenelle had to go through _her_ first. And she'd gut any male who tried to use her best friend.

* * *

As Jaenelle drifted off to a fitful sleep, Karla remained awake, remembering the events of the night before. The Coven -perhaps sensing the need to cheer Jaenelle up- continued to play games, until Karla spoke up, needing to tell her tale… because it applied now more than ever. 

"I want to tell you about how I met Jaenelle." Karla announced, and the Coven grew watchful, but Morghann nodded her approval.

"I first met Jaenelle while I was staying with the hourglass. My mother and Morton's died… when we were children, their consorts disappearing under equally suspicious circumstances not long after, and my uncle quickly stepped up to 'help' Glacian society," Karla relayed in a steel-edged voice.

"The council that now has a strong foothold in Glacia was only beginning then, and I didn't understand why we didn't have our strongest Queen or Black Widow. The other Black Widows told me that Glacia was locked in a cold winter and that until I or another strong Queen grew old enough, society would remain fractured, because it was the only way we could stop both the creeping influence of Hayll and the male council." Karla continued darkly. Glacia still lived in troubled times.

"And around me, in the villages and the towns, slowly things changed. The male council came up with the concept of instability in Black Widows and began to preach; the hourglass became feared and fewer students came. Rumors spread that good witches deferred to their consorts." Karla relentlessly ignored the growing rage and unease permeating the room.

"And then one night, as I was staring into the stars and cursing the council, someone else agreed with me." Karla paused, remembering.

_Karla's Memory…_

"Gah, what is WRONG with the realms?!" Karla hissed in frustration, giving in to the urge to stamp her foot.

"Many things, sister." Came a voice that sounded too solemn for the child it belonged to, until one saw her eyes.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Karla asked suspiciously.

"I'm Jaenelle, and I'm here because I am. Who are you?" The girl replied warily.

"Karla. Black Widow in training. Queen. Healer. Sapphire." Karla's eyes narrowed, expecting a response from the witch who simply remained sitting next to her.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm _unstable_." Karla spat.

Jaenelle turned midnight eyes on Karla. "Are you?"

_End Memory_…

"…And from that moment on, we were friends. It didn't matter that the other girls thought I was a freak, that the boys teased me, or that Hobart pressured me to return. I had Morton, who cheered me up, stayed with me during dull parties and promised to protect me…" Karla paused to smile at Morton.

"…And Jaenelle, who helped me with craft, argued with me on politics, and most of all, understood me." Karla closed her eyes, sadness drawing a veil over her usually expressive face.

"And then one day Jaenelle disappeared, and everything changed again. I moved back to court under Lord Hobart, where Morton and I went to stuffy parties, hid in corners and caused controversy. I searched for Jaenelle, when Morton told me sometimes friends didn't always stay friends. I called for her and called for her, until Morton was so worried he consented to deliver a letter to Uncle Saetan… and then it was just a matter of wearing scandalously man-ish clothes and rolling my eyes at stupid simpering bitch after stupid simpering bitch… and waiting for Jaenelle to return. Of course, Uncle Saetan's influence helped a bit." Karla grinned darkly.

"When we become Territory Queens, things will change sister." Gabrielle promised, steel in every backbone of the room, the boyos silently promising the witches their protection… which they would need. Karla nodded, thinking of the fractured and damaged society in Glacia, the young girls learning to prance and pander to consorts…

_Glacia is locked in an endless winter…_

"We will, we will change things." Morton said determinedly, reaching for Karla's hand in a pledge, and Jaenelle looked at the Coven with a sad smile. She had no doubt that they would shake Kaeleer to its foundations, strip the evil from their lands, form alliances, and most importantly, remain true to themselves and their friendship.

The Shadow Realm was going to be glorious.


End file.
